After this mornings exercises I walked into town to post a parcel. What was intended as a quick trip turned into my longest time outside so far. Bumped into a few people to say hello to, plus a few things sorted at the bank, some DVD's from the library and purple sprouting broccoli from Corden's. I seem to be feeling the cold more than I used to (except on my left!) but I didn't feel to tired after all that, which is good as tomorrow Lottie and Dan are on holiday, I've a session at the Heavy workshop, and hopefully a trip up to Matlock.

Picked up my carrier bag full of medication today. As it looks like I'll be on a number of drugs for the foreseeable future I've paid for 12 months of prescription charges up front. £104 but with the number of pills I'm taking at the moment it should save me a little in the long run?

Drove the car for the first time today since the end of January. Only a short trip to pick Lottie and Dan up but it felt like another step in the right direction. Will have to try the push bike next.

Trip to the Heavy Workshop this morning for an assessment. I'll have a programme of exercises tailored to improve my balance, stamina and left side sensation on Thursday and then I'll be let loose on the treadmills, lathes, exercise bikes and swiss balls for an hour twice a week until I've met my 'treatment goals'.
I'd expected a load of form filling and maybe some additional cost before I could drive again but, I with the insurance firm today and as my GP is happy for me to drive they have no problem.

Zombieland

Yesterday we called in to the Shahenshah and picked up a curry. Sag Paneer and Dahl fitted the bill as fork mashable and very nice it was too.

As we were close by I nipped in for a quick look at Billy and Belinda bollard that had been erected whilst I was in Hospital. They seem to be holding up reasonably well, in a scary sort of way.

Following the yoga session with Chaz today I decided to watch Zombieland as Karin, Lottie and Dan were out watching / preforming in a concert at the Assembly Rooms. Zombieland I thought was enjoyable comedy gore which made me flinch and laugh in equal measures, just like the bollards really!

Nipped into Waterstones today to see Ron Fawcett and get his signature on a copy of his new book and my old copy of Crags from 1976. He pointed out on the cover where the editor Geoff Birtles had tippexed out Chris Bonnington's head (just above Ron). Apparently Chris was on Original Route and stuck his head round the corner just as the photo was taken and Geoff refused to have Bonnington on the cover of his magazine.

Nipped into the office today to say hello and deliver some muffins and catch up on the latest news. Didn't get to speak to everyone as it was a lot more tiring walking down there than I thought it was going to be, but nice to see folk and get the latest on the reorganisation. Back home via the bank, must be the longest walk I've done in the last couple of months. An afternoon on the sofa was needed to recover, followed by an evening watching Hot Fuzz with Lottie.

Appointment with consultant confirmed today for 11 May.

Visit to see my GP this morning. First time he's come across Wallenburg's Syndrome so he's going to do a little reading up on it. He did however give me a copy of the letter he's received from Sheffield with a discharge summary which explains why he didn't really know what to expect. It did show the results of the investigations carried out in Sheffield, all my blood tests and Cholesterol were normal but it details the results of the MRI including an MR Angiography of the Circle of Willis !
He's signed me off for another 4 weeks and wants to see me on the 15 April to review things.
Another wobbly session with Chaz this afternoon, and a bit of Battenburg :-)

Chaz Rough had me wobbling about today working on my balance, glad nobody was watching! Evening spent playing Minotaurus with Karin, Lottie and Dan thanks to Chris and Mike. I've now got an appointment arranged for Monday with the Occupational Therapists at the DRI, and I'll have to see what the GP says tomorrow about driving and returning to work.

Get to walk down to the lake at Allestree where Peggy goes for a swim.
Face feels odd as my left cheek in particular feels cold and tingly, I can also feel a little discomfort in my stomach still. Will mention it to the GP on Thursday.

The plan is to take this week nice and easy so I've tried to get into a little routine with swallowing exercises and physio in the morning. Visits from Dave B, my brother and Marc in the afternoon then I tried to find some yoga workouts on the web to add to my morning exercises. The instructors at Yoga Today are more attractive but I found a 20min workout Yoga for Climbers with Chaz Rough from Yogamazing I may give that a try tomorrow!

I nice quiet day with the family. A visit from Dave & Kerri in the afternoon, and an afternoon nap.
Lottie bakes another chocolate cake which provides excellent swallowing practice. It takes a little time but I'm actually take small bites and chewing before swallowing it almost feels normal except I'm still turning my head and dropping my chin.

Today has been nice and quiet. Karin, Lottie and Dan are down in London for a long standing invitation to Covent Garden. Karin and Lottie at the Ballet and Dan looking round Tower Bridge. Lottie's highlight of the day is getting the autograph of Carlos Acosta.

All I've done today is prepare my own food and drink and hang out on the sofa with the dog but I'm still quite tired. Food highlight of the day is the plum crumble and custard delivered by Linda and Ellie.

Watched the live webcast of the Climbing Works International Climbing Festival CWICF which I surprisingly found entertaining, despite the sometimes annoying camera work. I'm not usually into watching other folk climbing indoors, but the mix of styles of problems and the skills of the competitors made it interesting viewing. I thought the handstand start for the problem in the men's final was genius. It looks as if the end of the corner where I had my stroke has been nicknamed 'Bennett's Corner' by the commentator, obviously an area of the wall to be careful on!

Anyway no climbing for me until June/July as instructed by Dr Brain so think I may try some Yoga and work on balance and flexibility whilst building up my stamina.

HOME

Chat with Zoltan this morning about the discomfort in my stomach and as it seems to be better and improving since the NG tube was removed, and didn't give me any problems yesterday, I'll be OK with out any investigation at the moment. If any problems occur in the future then I need to raise it with my GP and come back in. I'm then given the OK to go home :-)

A quick call to Karin and I start to pack. I seemed to have collected a lot of things over the last 51 days plus I'm given several boxes of food supplements as well. After lots of thank yous it takes 3 of us plus a wheelchair to take all my stuff down to the car.

I'm at home now doing my balancing exercises while Lottie does her physio, and writing lists of fork mashable food I'd like to eat. Mashed veggie sausage, beans and mash for tea with Jelly for pudding. More challenging from a swallowing point of view than the Hospital fork mash but very tasty.

I've a follow up appointment with Dr Brain in about six weeks, another videofluoroscopy on the 5 May, physio at the 'heavy workshop' hopefully next week, an appointment with my GP next Thursday and a visit from the Community Speech Therapists in the next few weeks. Lots of exercises to do in the meantime and a phone number to call for swallowing advise.

woken at 6am for a fasting lipids blood test 3rd time lucky! Stats taken about half an hour later Blood Pressure 108/66, Resting Heart Rate 68bpm O2 stats 98%, Temp 36.5

All the signs are looking good for me going home tomorrow. The Physio has booked me in to the 'heavy workshop' at the DRI to work on my balance and left hand side sensation. Nutritionist has had a chat about diet and I've a bag full of supplements to start me off. The Pharmacist has stocked up my drug cabinet, the only doubt came when Zoltan asked me about the discomfort in my stomach and how Dr Brain had suggested sticking a camera down my throat just to check what was going on. It was suggested that this could perhaps happen Friday morning before I was discharged, but the nurses confirmed its unlikely to happen so quickly. Plan now is to have a chat with Zoltan tomorrow morning to decide if the endoscope is still necessary, and if it is to book something as an out patient. So baring any major mishap only one more night in Hospital. :-)

Wall of Cards

Day 50!
More balancing physio today seems to be some improvement and I've been given a load of ideas of things I can do at home until I get an appointment for 'the workshop' at the DRI.

The rumour is I'm to be released on Friday morning, as Dr Brain wants one more blood test.

Swallowing seems to be steadily improving eating Lottie's chocolate cake today was very nice and I'm sure a good swallowing exercise, as was the lemon sponge and custard pudding i had for tea.

Sensation in my left hand side doesn't seem to be recovering quite as quickly as I'd like. I've been trying to shock the nerves into working by turning the shower suddenly to cold in the morning but all that does is make me squeal as I get a very strange sensation, not cold but prickly.

Two more patients leave today and they are quickly replaced by two more down from 410 just me and Alf seem to be here for the long haul?

Ward round today by Dr Brain confirms I'm still awaiting Carol's assessment before I get a discharge date and just one more blood test tomorrow.

Carol visits just after lunch and I'm upgraded to Fork Mash and 2 soft cakes per day and these don't need mashing up and mixing with water :-) I'm still on small sips of custard fluids but the suggestion is I'm likely to be discharged on Thursday or Friday! Yippee

The decision will be made at tomorrow mornings meeting. I'm booked in for another Videofloroscopy for the 5 May when hopefully I'll get the OK for normal fluids. I've a list of the sort of foods I can have and those to avoid, but basically if you can mash it into small soft lumps its OK and I have to avoid difficult textures such as crunchy, crumbly, hard or stringy foods unless of course its pureed.
I was really looking forward to my first fork mash meal but was disappointed that it looked the same as smooth, but at least I got to have rice pudding.

Dan is a teenager

I must be feeling better as I've lifted my self imposed Internet ban on all things medical and I've being looking on wikipedia at Wallenburg's syndrome makes for interesting reading and I'm very grateful I've not got violent hiccups!
Also been checking out my medication Asprin , Dipyridamole , Lansoprazole , Simvastatin note to self must avoid grapefruit products.

Dr Zoltan back from his skiing holiday so had a chat about last round of tests and although they have not raised any particular worries its suggested I start taking Folic acid as well, confirmed by wikipedia :-)

In between eating, drinking, medication, and exercises I've been listening to Amadou & Mariam today. A visit from Liz today after lunch then Ian, Karin, Lottie and the Birthday Boy to play a long game of Magma Monster this evening.

The cake's gone well today so hope to see Carol tomorrow for the upgrade to fork mash.

Back to Ward 312 after my weekend at home. Great to have some smooth sausage, beans & mash and sleep in my own bed last night.

Lottie and Dan provided Karin with breakfast in bed this morning for Mothers Day, perfect poached eggs :-)

Kade, Linda, Ellie and Isaac came round later to see Dan and deliver his presents and a fine cake baked by Isaac. I even got to try some. Lovely even though I had it mushed in a cup with a little milk! A few games of one of Dan's other presents Magma Monster. Yet another great Lego product will have to try and get some others. Minotaurus and Creationary look good fun.

I've negotiated a weekend pass :-)
Given a list of instructions and a bag full of pills and food supplements to take with me. Picked up by Karin after lunch and taken home to see all the fossils, iron nodules and assorted rocks that they've collected from Saltburn. Looking forward to home cooked smooth meals and sleeping in my own bed :-)

Supplements - the calogen energy dense neutral flavour supplement arrived too late today to add to my meals, what a shame! something to look forward to tomorrow. I've almost finished my second tub of Nutilis thickener as well.
swallowing seems to be getting easier although i dont think I've managed quite as much fluid as I did yesterday but the night is still young and I've just been given a hot chocolate to thicken up. still have some discomfort in my stomach but will discuss that with the doctor on monday if it hasnt gone away. Not much else to report from today, a visit from Chris and Mike bringing smoothies and Dean on his weekly flower run. Dave and Tanya turned up again in the evening, hope the weather stays nice for them tomorrow.

Looking forward to seeing Karin, Lottie and Dan tomorrow. If I can sort out the food and tablets may be I can stay home for the whole weekend?

Fingers crossed I get upgraded to fork mash on Monday which is also Dan's 13th Birthday